It's another first-of-the-series from C. E. Murphy, and given that I was expecting a spunky heroine to be dragged bass-akward through a pile of world-view-changing revelations, it did not disappoint.

Truthseeker moves a little too fast for the plot to gain much in the way of depth, and the action was explained away rather than explained. However, that speed is complimented by dialog that I found to be witty as well as wry. The four main characters are presented well, from the angles of description, dialog, and reaction by the other characters. Lara's ever growing talent and emotional maturation in the story work well together, and Kelly's practical competence, combined with the sarcastic/ironic commentary, provide excellent relief for Lara's tiresome hangups. The ending was a gimmie, but I'm ok with that. I was reading the book for entertainment and the occasional giggle, not for psychological exploration of self. The sequel isn't out yet, but is listed on the last page, so I'm expecting more from Lara and Kelly, Dafydd (David), and hopefully Dickson.

the book is currently titled Wayfinder and it is set to drop 9/6/11. Not as soon as I wanted it...like next week or so. But since it is supposed to be the conclusion for TruthSeeker, hanging on to it longer leads me to hope that it will be tightly plotted and one of her best written novels to date.

Oh, and if hopes work: I just want it out there that the younger child really hopes there are dragons he could raise as pet...in which case, I hope we can afford a house and land large enough to house a dragon...Or the elephant the older child would prefer over a dragon.

Love that book! The dragon is just so cute. It has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. So of course, I had to have a copy for the kids. We found a used library copy when Bean was about 3. The kids have read it so much, the pages are starting to color where they have been turned. I wish it would be released again, since I have a whole list of people who need a copy now.